The Cave That Breathes
Air rushes in and out of a small hole in the Black Hills, as if the earth were breathing. The Lakota say their people first came into this world through it.
What was reported
Wind Cave lies under the Black Hills of South Dakota, one of the longest caves in the world. Its natural entrance is a small opening in the rock where air whistles out strongly on some days and is sucked back in on others.
In Lakota tradition, it's the place where the first people emerged from the world under the ground. Settlers learned of it in 1881, when, the story goes, two brothers heard a whistling and felt the wind blow off one of their hats.
Explanations offered
The cave 'breathes' because of changes in air pressure outside: when pressure drops, air flows out; when it rises, air flows in. Wind Cave became a US national park in 1903, and remains a sacred site for the Lakota.
- When
- Sacred for centuries; found by settlers in 1881
- Where
- Wind Cave, South Dakota, USA
- Witnesses
- The Lakota, and two brothers who lost a hat
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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